By Rohanie Yahya
COTABATO CITY—Fisherfolk cooperatives from Maguindanao and Cotabato City received on Thursday, Aug. 25, a total of 80 new fishing boats from the Office of the Chief Minister’s Project TABANG or the Tulong Alay sa Bangsamorong Nangangailangan.
Each boat comes with an engine motor, fishing line, hook, and net. Per boat package costs a total of Php85,000.00.
TABANG Project Manager Tomanda Antok led the turn-over ceremony held at Barangay Kalanganan II of this city.
“Ito ang tugon at commitment ng ating Chief Minister (Ahod Ebrahim) na ilapit yung gobyerno sa ating mga mamamayang Bangsamoro,” said Antok.
One of the recipients, Abubakar Inabay, 44, shared that he earns a maximum income of P2,000 a day when there is a high volume of harvest.
Inabay, who resides in Mother Kabuntalan, Maguindanao, is the secretary of the Moro Land Farmers and Fisherfolks Association.
“Ang malaking challenge lang sa kabuhayan namin ay kapag gabi na panghuhuli namin at kapag maliit ang bangka, nahihirapan kaming i-transport yung mga nahuli namin,” said Inabay.
“Gusto ko lang ipaabot sa (BARMM) na tumulong sa aming mga mangingisda na nagpapasalamat kami dahil napakalaking tulong ito sa kabuhayan namin,” he added.
TABANG Livelihood Assistance Component Head Unit and Project Development Officer III Mohamad Asnur Pendatun, Office of Cotabato City Mayor representative Ainee Biruar Arumpac, and representatives from the Ministry of Finance, Budget and Management (MFBM), Commission on Audit (COA), and Barangay Local Government Unit of Kalanganan II were also present during the activity. (With the story from Myrna Tepadan/BIO)
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